CDI Staff

Arise Leadership Summit panel urges churches to walk with Gen Z as co-laborers, not projects

At a time when churches around the world are grappling with declining youth engagement, a diverse group of Christian leaders at the Arise Leadership Summit 2025 made a compelling case for rethinking how the Church engages with Generation Z—today’s most digitally connected and spiritually seeking demographic.

‘Gen Z are disciples in the making, not problems to fix’: Arise Leadership Summit spotlights authentic mentorship

A call for authenticity, empathy, and long-term investment in the next generation of Christian leaders took center stage at the Arise Leadership Summit 2025 in Indonesia, as Ashish Hirday, Director for Church Engagement at Arise Asia and leader of the World Evangelical Alliance’s Global Youth Commission, delivered a plenary address that blended humor, data, and personal testimony with a passionate plea for a reimagined model of discipleship.

Patrick Fung opens day two of Arise Leadership Summit with call to grace, mentorship, and intergenerational growth

Summit in Indonesia, Rev. Dr. Patrick Fung, Chair of Arise Asia and former General Director of OMF International, delivered a message that challenged participants to embrace the biblical vision of intergenerational mentorship, learn through failure, and trust in God’s grace as they follow His call to missions.

Photos from opening ceremony of Arise Leadership Summit

The opening ceremony of the Arise Leadership Summit 2025 in Indonesia featured a vibrant display of unity and cultural diversity, with representatives from 22 nations participating in a flag procession, traditional dance performances, worship, and welcoming remarks from Indonesian church leaders. The evening concluded with a keynote address by Rev. Dr. David Ro, co-founder of Arise Asia, and national Arise leaders sharing testimonies.

'A generation willing to say yes': Opening keynote at Arise Leadership Summit calls Asia to rise as a mission force

The Arise Leadership Summit opened Monday with a keynote address from Rev. Dr. David Ro, co-founder and executive director of Arise Asia, who urged participants to cultivate both public leadership and private spiritual integrity as Asia increasingly shifts from a mission field to a mission force.

Arise Leadership Summit kicks off in Indonesia with call to mobilize Gen Z for global missions

The Arise Leadership Summit, a four-day gathering aimed at mobilizing a new generation of Asian Christian leaders for global missions, opened Monday in Indonesia with vibrant cultural celebrations, worship, and a keynote address focused on Asia’s emerging role as a mission force.

WEA publishes findings of internal review following whistleblower report

The International Council of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) published the conclusions of its own internal review of concerns related to governance, finances, theology, and ethical issues that was triggered following the publication of a whistleblower report.

COALA 3.0 communiqué affirms new era of Majority World mission partnerships and shared faith

The Christ Over Asia, Latin America and Africa (COALA) movement has released the official communiqué and partnership statement from its third global gathering, COALA 3.0, which convened in Panama from April 27 to 29, 2025. The event brought together 63 key church and mission leaders from 18 Majority World nations to strengthen collaboration and deepen theological unity across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Arise Asia Leadership Summit 2025 (Jakarta, Indonesia)

German Christian YouTuber bicycles across Europe in search of unity among believers

A German Christian content creator has completed a yearlong journey across ten European countries by e-bike to explore and document Christian unity, according to an interview with the evangelical publication Medienmagazin Pro. Carola Mehltretter, who launched the YouTube channel Rooted as One, spent over 12 months traveling alone from country to country, relying on the hospitality of local churches and believers.

South Korean church leaders call for new strategy in rebuilding North Korean churches

To mark the 80th anniversary of liberation and division, the 7th North Korean Church Planting Forum was held to review the Korean church’s readiness and direction for unified mission work and the planting of churches in North Korea, and to refine strategies. Under the theme “80th Anniversary of Liberation: Diagnosis and Vision for North Korean Church Planting,” the forum was held on July 17 at the Cappella Hall in the basement of the Second General Building of Chongshin University in Dongjak-gu,

Christian artist Forrest Frank fractures back in skateboarding accident, writes viral worship song from bed

Forrest Frank, the Christian singer behind hits like “Good Day,” “UP!” and “Your Way’s Better,” suffered multiple back fractures in a skateboarding accident last week — but turned his painful setback into a moment of praise that’s resonating widely online.